Of Pomegranates and Mortals
by DoubleChocolateCake
Summary: AU retelling of the Hades/Persephone tale.


**AN: I got the idea for this fic when I walked into my room and the smell of pomegranates punched me in the face. This is going to be my first multi-chapter fic so I hope you all enjoy it!**

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The room was buzzing with excitement. Finally, the famous tale-spinner had arrived after weeks of anticipation. Anyone who's anyone was here to hear the woman tell the tales she knew. She was famous for them throughout the lands and this was her first time visiting their quaint little town.

Her arrival had been advertised for weeks and it was all anyone could talk about. Older townspeople weren't as excited as the younger generation, but curiosity had gripped the town nonetheless.

The room suddenly hushed as an old woman walked slowly to the front of the room and unceremoniously flopped down on the soft, down pillow. She stared straight ahead with pale eyes and noticed just how many young women were here by the residual giggling still taking place all over the room.

"Well, let's get this over with," She muttered grumpily. "I'm guessing by all the girlish giggling everyone from here to Olympus can hear, that you want a love story?"

Several squeals let out and many voices tried to speak over others to offer suggestions.

"Oh, enough!" The woman yelled, waving her hands a bit to quiet the crowd. "You all sound like dying turtleducks."

Closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead, she waited until it was silent once again before continuing.

"Who here knows the story about the goddess of springtime and beauty and the god of the Underworld?" She asked tiredly, reopening her unfocused eyes and removing her hand from her temple.

A voice rang out somewhere in the middle of the crowd: "Didn't he steal her from her garden and force her to stay with him by tricking her?"

The woman snorted. Like that goddess would let anyone _force _her into doing something she didn't want. These people obviously knew nothing of the true story. Taking a deep breath, she began.

"The tale tells of an unwilling woman whisked away by the god of the Underworld, but how true do you think that is? History is written by the men who win it and many men say the maiden was conquered that day. But what if she wanted to go? What if she also wanted to rule and conquer? I will spin the tale I know," The woman smirked. "For a price."

The crowd muttered, but the woman grinned in earnest as coin after coin clinked together in the bowl in front of her.

_The goddess of beauty and spring was indeed in the garden that day, but unlike what the tales say, she had been watching. She had seen the god Kai's face upon their first meeting. She had seen his cold heart and knew the desire he held for her. The goddess felt his eyes watching her every moment after that and when the time was right, she walked where no one but he would find her for she knew his plan.._

While the goddess Jinora is known for her beauty, people often forget that she is also strong-willed and incredibly intelligent. Walking to her secret garden, she mulled her plan over.

Her mother would be a wreck of course, but if it were up to her parents, she'd be just another virginal goddess whose only duty was to sit and look pretty for the mortals to worship. She wanted more. She wanted a love that would rival any love story ever told.

She had captured the god of the Underworld's heart, but he had unwittingly captured her attention. She remembered his commanding presence well, especially the way his large, dark green eyes widened upon seeing her for the first time and the cool kiss he placed upon her hand. She remembered the reluctance he had shown letting it go and the way his eyes followed her around the room afterwards. His gaze was not something she could forget.

Most gods are too busy in their own worlds to notice such trivial things, but Jinora was not any goddess. Her eyes had followed him as well. She was enchanted by his dusky skin and his mystery.

_How was it that a god who ruled over the dead and damned could be so closed off and yet still have such a boyish grin?_ She had wondered ever since then.

Settling into a nest of flowers, Jinora found a bare spot and quickly planted the seed she had been carrying. Watering it with her nearby self-filling watering can (a product of her own design), she smirked slightly to herself when she felt a slight rumbling beneath her feet.


End file.
